1 Peter 1:8-12 NIV
[8] Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, [9] for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. [10] Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, [11] trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. [12] It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
Dear God, it seems like it really impressed Peter that there were so many people believing in Jesus, his death, and his resurrection without actually seeing it for themselves. He had lived such an amazing time as part of Jesus’ earthly ministry that I can see that this would be a big deal to him.
I suppose a modern equivalent is the person who comes to Christian faith without having grown up in it. They either grew up with no faith or from another tradition. I know a young woman who, to some extent, walked away from the Christian Faith her parents raised her in, lived a little and even evaluated other faiths and ended up recently getting baptized in a Christian church. She said that the thing Christianity offers over the others is mercy and grace. She didn’t find that in a lot of other religions.
Father, help me to be the ambassador for Christianity that you need me to be. Be glorified in me. Love others through me. Give grace and mercy through me. And help me to face the challenges coming at me today. This will be a complicated day. Make me an instrument of your peace.
In Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen